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A rapier is a straight, two-edged sword with a narrow pointed blade, designed especially for thrusting. According to Encyclopædia Britannica, "the long rapier was beautifully balanced, excellent in attack, and superb for keeping an opponent at a distance." The word itself, which we borrowed in the 16th century, is from Middle French rapiere. The first time that rapier was used as an adjective in its figurative "cutting" sense, it described a smile: "Who can bear a rapier smile? A kiss that dooms the soul to death?" ("The Lover's Lament" by Sumner Lincoln Fairfield, 1824). The adjective these days most commonly describes wit-an association that dates to the 1850s.
Examples of rapier in a Sentence
Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 9 Sep. 2024
Its climax pits gentleman thief Arsène Lupin III against the dastardly Count Lazare de Cagliostro, with their rivalry culminating in a sweeping duel — the Count with a rapier, Lupin with a giant wrench — inside of the titular castle’s clock tower.
—Vikram Murthi, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2024
Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Nov. 2022
And instead of rapier-thin thrusts to breach Ukraine’s borders, the Russian army and its separatist allies are now deployed along a contiguous front line shaped like a boomerang.
—Nabih Bulosstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2022
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Cite this Entry
“Rapier.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rapier. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.
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